PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK
An Israeli commando unit destroyed a dozen planes at Beirut's airport in reprisal for the El Al Boeing which was attacked by Arabs in Athens. The reprisal looked like costing Lloyd's of London some £14 million, but the IN Security Council declared that Israel should pay the £30- odd million damages in full. America con- demned the raid, Britain regretted it. The liner 'Queen Elizabeth 2,' pride of British technology and traditional skill in shipbuilding, broke down on her trial voyage with a faulty engine shaft and limped back to Southampton. As the in- ternal fittings were not ready, either, Cunard refused acceptance of her from the builders, and cancelled her maiden voyage.
Three American astronauts landed safely on target in the Pacific after a journey of over half a million miles round the moon. The Russian supersonic airliner TU-144 carried out its first test flight, some four weeks ahead of the French Concorde and nine weeks ahead of the British one. Both western prototypes had been held up by strikes. Mrs Castle's plans for reforming the trade unions became known, a month in ad- vance of her expected White Paper. They included a ninety-day cooling-off period in un- official strikes and government intervention where the national economy- is seriously in- volved. Later she was attacked by both the TUC and the cat. New Year's Day was greeted with massive absenteeism throughout British
industry. Employers suggested that it should be made a holiday.
In Prague. the cabinet resigned to make way for the new federal constitution; widespread strikes. were threatened by both Czech and Slovak workers against the removal of Mf Smrkossky, President of the National Assem- bly. The Chinese exploded another nuclear device in the atmosphere to celebrate Mao Tse Tung's birthday. Christmas in Nigeria was celebrated with another hold-up of Red Cross relief flights from Fernando Po. There was heavy lobbying from Lagos to prevent next week's Commonwealth Conference from even discussing the Nigerian war against Biafra. Biafran supporters planned to shut the dele- gates inside Marlborough House until the mat- ter had been debated.
In the New Year Honours List Sir Learie Constantine became the first Negro to receive a peerage. E. M. Forster received an ow Bliz- zards cut off parts of Yorkshire and East Anglia. A boy died after being bitten by a wild dog Dear Birmingham. A group of French doctors announced that people who wash frequently often smell worse than people who do not. The last day of 1968 saw the first violent demonstra- tions against family planning in India, where villagers attacked a health centre, beating up health workers. Mr Wilson welcomed 1969 as a year of challenge and opportunity.
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